Talk:Doctor Who (1996 film)

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Contents 1 Footage 2 Requested move 2.1 Survey 2.2 Discussion 3 Production 4 Cleanup 5 Suggestion for explaining the rejigged TARDIS 6 Controversy section 7 Fair use rationale for Image:Doctorwho1996dvd.jpeg 8 Cast: "Old Doctor"? 9 Space Above and Beyond 10 "Unoficially known" 11 Jelly Babies 12 Fair use rationale for Image:DoctorWho96.jpg 13 More than Human 14 Console room 15 chameleon arch 16 In print 17 Intro changes 18 The Ending

[edit] Footage

From the article:

Commercials on the Fox network advertising the film used special effects footage from the 1986 story The Trial of a Time Lord, although this footage was not used in the movie. This marked the first time that footage from the original BBC series had been shown on a major American network.

Um, why isn't PBS a "major American network"? And even if it technically isn't, it's not much of a point to make, as PBS programming is just as wide spread as NBC, CBS, etc. 151.197.54.58 17:16, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

PBS isn't one network, in the sense that it is a single organized broadcast entity (as with the relationship between a standard network and its affiliates). Indeed, every PBS member station has almost completely different programming! There are at least three such stations available over air in San Francisco alone, and there is almost no cross-over in content amongst them. Fox, on the other hand, is a single broadcast entity with essentially standardized scheduling across all its affiliates. --71.139.9.136 11:36, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps "commercial network" would make more sense? Type 40 (talk) 22:05, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Doctor Who Paul McGann 1996 Does anyone know how to get a Region 1 copy of this DVD movie? MysteryVamp@hotmail.com

[edit] Production

Shouldn't a production segment be started focusing on the "pilot"'s development? DrWho42 22:12, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

See History of Doctor Who. --khaosworks (talk • contribs) 22:22, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

Hey, this is looking pretty nice now! All things considered. --71.139.9.136 10:22, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Suggestion for explaining the rejigged TARDIS

In the story Time and the Rani, the first words of the Seventh Doctor include the phrase "check in the TARDIS for it's (bilennial) refit". It could be argued then that following the Master's attempts to gain the Eye of Harmony, the High Council (when not dealing with the other Gallifrey based stories) decided that as the Doctor was a random agent it would be best to place the Eye of Harmony inside his TARDIS. When the Eye was installed it forced the TARDIS to undergo a architectural reconfiguration. Just my two pennies worth! Harry Hayfield 20:15, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Clever, though of course there's no place for clever theories in the actual article. At any rate, Davies has a simpler solution: the inside of the TARDIS can be "skinned", like Winamp -- much as the exterior can hypothetically take any appearance. No need to even be clever!

Oh, and as for the Eye: it's pretty well established by now, at least in the surrounding media, that it's just a dimensional link to the actual Eye, standard to all TARDIS units. Again, simple is good. --Aderack 11:12, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Controversy section

Although I know from my own experience in fandom that the issues mentioned in the "Controversy" section are indeed subjects about which Doctor Who fans have argued vigorously ever since 1996, I'm worried that without any citations the section largely amounts to original research. I've got a lot on my plate right now, so if someone feels like taking this on it'd be great. Possible sources might include DWM, Dreamwatch and Starburst from shortly after the TVM aired, the Completely Useless Encyclopedia (which I think references some of these controversies), and the like. I think that David Howe's Television Companion even addresses some of these issues, and some of them may be rebutted in Regeneration by Russell and Segal. Anyway, if someone wants to take a stab at finding sources for that section, it would be a big improvement to the article. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 07:24, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

There are no sources there and it adds little to knowledge of Doctor Who (as opposed to various aspects of fan culture). I'm moving it here until such time as someone decided what needs to be done with it. Text follows:

With its often dramatic changes or additions to established continuity, the TV movie has caused considerable controversy within Doctor Who fandom, some fans charging that it violates canon in several areas. Although the controversy has dimmed somewhat in the wake of the 2005 series (which goes some lengths to address or resolve some of the conflicts), some Doctor Who fans go so far as to disavow the movie from "official" continuity. Meanwhile, other fans insist that all of these points can be easily explained or interpreted in the context of the series. Some lasting points of contention include:

• The Doctor's being revealed as being half-human.
• That the Eye of Harmony hypothetically should be on Gallifrey; not in the TARDIS, as shown here.
• The fact that only a human retina-print can open the Eye of Harmony on a Gallifreyan vessel
• That the Doctor and his companion, Grace, enter into a romantic relationship (often seen as a taboo).
• That the Doctor uses the term "cloaking device" to refer to the TARDIS' chameleon circuit.
• That the movie's take on the Time Lord regenerative process differs from earlier depictions.
• That the interior of the TARDIS significantly differs from earlier versions.

The writers of numerous original Doctor Who novels that followed the movie, such as Terrance Dicks and Lance Parkin, have attempted to reconcile these and other points of continuity, with varying degrees of success.

Several rebuttals have been made by other fans, starting with the argument that continuity in the original series was never that strong anyway. Specific rebuttals include:

• Although the Doctor has stated that he is not from Earth, there is nothing to explicitly contradict a mixed heritage. Indeed, the series contains vague hints that may support the theory, depending on interpretation. In The Evil of the Daleks, the Daleks identify the Doctor as "more than human"; in Planet of the Spiders, when the TARDIS returns the dying Third Doctor to Earth, he states it brought him "home". In addition, the Doctor's family background has never been explored in the series beyond the fact that he travelled for a time with his granddaughter, and an occasional reference to other relatives. Alternatively, as the film claims that a Time Lord can change species upon regeneration ^[1], some fans speculate that only the Eighth Doctor may be half-human. Another popular theory draws from the time the Seventh Doctor spends masquerading as a human named John Smith in Paul Cornell's 1995 Virgin New Adventures novel Human Nature, speculating that the Doctor's human DNA is left over from that experience. Although the revived television series has thus far avoided the issue, the New Series Adventures novel Only Human (2005) states that the Doctor's DNA is "close" to that of humans.
• The Eye of Harmony shown in the telemovie was just a power-tap; a dimensional link to the actual Eye of Harmony. This explanation has been used in spin-off media, and referenced in a "beginner's guide" to the show on the official Doctor Who website.
• The spinoff adventure The Apocalypse Element attepts to explain the Eye of Harmony's response to human eyeprints. In that story, a previous Doctor's human companion keys the Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey to respond only to her own retina print. The story ends with an offhand comment by the Doctor about the possible consequences of such an act.
• The Doctor had an arguably romantic relationship in The Aztecs, and as he also had a granddaughter, presumably he had sexual relations at some point. In the 2005 series, the Ninth Doctor's (and later the Tenth's) relationship with his companion, Rose Tyler, seemed to verge on actual romance (with Rose ultimately declaring her feelings for the Doctor, though the Doctor is prevented from reciprocating), as did the Fourth Doctor's relationship with the second incarnation of Romana. Furthermore, the 2006 episode School Reunion portrays the Doctor's earlier relationship with Sarah Jane Smith in a nominally romantic light.
• Different eras of the series use different terminology. In 1965's The Time Meddler the TARDIS' disguising mechanism was called a "camouflage unit". The term "chameleon circuit" was introduced in the Target Books novelisations, then only first used in the series proper in 1981's Logopolis. "Cloaking device" is a common term in late 20th century English and would be instantly understandable where "chameleon circuit" would not be. In the 2005 series episode Boom Town, when Rose refers to the TARDIS's cloaking device, the Doctor clarifies that it is called the chameleon circuit.
• Furthermore, the Doctor may have misused terms or provided incorrect biographical information while his mind remained partially addled post-regeneration.
• The concept of regeneration has never been consistent and nothing in the telemovie directly contradicts the television series.
• The interior of the TARDIS had already changed several times throughout the series, if in more subtle ways. For that matter, the interior depicted in the 2005 series is an even more radical departure (whereas the version seen in the movie somewhat recalls the wood-panelled console room used in the series during 1976-1977). In Doctor Who Magazine, 2005 series producer Russell T. Davies explains that the TARDIS interior can be reconfigured in much the same way as its exterior; he compares the process to a Winamp skin.

The film also rattled cages amongst several people associated with Doctor Who. Former script-editor Terrance Dicks famously said, "It's incoherent crap!"; writers Pip and Jane Baker were particularly critical of the abundance of apparent plot holes, and of how McGann spends most of his screen time "in a daze". Even Sylvester McCoy commented that the script — in particular the regeneration, and the scene where the Master attempts to take the Doctor's lives — robbed the Doctor of his dignity. In a 2005 episode of Doctor Who Confidential, McCoy mused, "I always thought [that] the [Doctor Who] film would probably have done better if they had begun the film with Paul [McGann]; and once the series had got going, I should then have come in to show how it [the regeneration] had happened."

Despite this, the television movie is generally accepted as canonical, as evidenced by the current production team classifying Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and by the BBC featuring the Eighth Doctor in a 40th anniversary tribute montage included on a number of DVD releases during 2002-2003.

--Tony Sidaway 18:04, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Has there been any published speculation that the Doctor's "half-human" status may have been the result of the Seventh Doctor using the genetic transformation technology seen in Human Nature in a previous unseen adventure? If Time Lords can change into any species using this technology, why not "half human", perhaps as a means of making the Tardis inaccessible to other Time Lords? Type 40 (talk) 22:11, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:Doctorwho1996dvd.jpeg

Image:Doctorwho1996dvd.jpeg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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Y Done—Elipongo (Talk|contribs) 03:03, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cast: "Old Doctor"?

In the Cast section, why has the Seventh Doctor been referred to as the "Old Doctor" when there have been 7 old Doctors to this point?

Because that's the role as named in the credits. --Mark H Wilkinson ^{(t, c)} 14:30, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Space Above and Beyond

It's been long held that Fox did not choose to produce a Doctor Who series because it chose to do Space Above and Beyond instead. However I just checked Wikipedia's own article on SAAB and discovered that that series actually began in 1995 and its final episode aired only two weeks after the Doctor Who movie was shown. It's possible the Wikipedia dates are wrong; if they are, please revert my edit. If the dates are correct, is it possible the story has been reported wrong and Fox greenlit another SF series? Anyone remember what they had in the fall of 1997 besides X-Files? 68.146.47.196 23:34, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, the dates for Space: Above and Beyond are correct. I think it's simply a case that someone's put in a rumour that doesn't hold up to closer scrutiny, which wouldn't be the first time. It's certainly unsourced. --Mark H Wilkinson ^{(t, c)} 08:36, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Unoficially known"

There is a "fact" fact for the line (Unofficially known as Enemy Within). If the tag is for the fact that fans call it that, just look through the early history pages on Doctor who serials, as it was used then. (see here) If it is the fact that it is unofficial, then look no further than the movie itself, as that title was never used for the movie. StuartDD ( t • c ) 12:21, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I think it's for "unofficially known... by fans". But we'd need something stronger than a Wikipedia edit history: luckily, there's an immensely useful tertiary source provided here. I shall pop it in. --Mark H Wilkinson ^{(t, c)} 12:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jelly Babies

Is this a continuity error? It's unclear where the Doctor possibly could have got any Jelly Babies from...in America...in a newly regenerated body...with stolen clothes...without the TARDIS. 129.120.86.129 20:52, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:DoctorWho96.jpg

Image:DoctorWho96.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 04:59, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] More than Human

The article states that this is a reference to a line cut from "Remembrance of the Daleks" but states "although how the Master would know this is unknown."

In the original ending to "Survival" the Doctor says he's more than human, to the Master. That scene was also cut, but perhaps that's where he heard it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.128.253.217 (talk) 13:07, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Console room

When discussing the changes the console room had over the show's run and the suggestion that it is a "desktop theme" as the fifth Doctor suggests, remember that in one forth Doctor episode the Doctor is seen leading Leela around the interior of the TARDIS whereupon they come across the "secondary control room" where the Doctor finds a recorder. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.128.253.217 (talk) 13:11, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

The suggestion of a console theme is obviously something the writers didn't have in mind in the 1970s:) In any case, there's no reason why there couldn't be both a "desktop theme" option and a secondary control room as a backup. Type 40 (talk) 13:52, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] chameleon arch

Has there been any published suggestion that the Doctor was half human through use of the Chameleon Arch? Type 40 (talk) 13:54, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

• In terms of anything official such as an on-screen reference, no. But someone has noted in this article that the events of Human Nature open up the possibility. Still doesn't explain the "on my mother's side" bit, although we know the arch can create false histories, too. 23skidoo (talk) 12:40, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] In print

Wasn't a script book released, too? 23skidoo (talk) 12:40, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Intro changes

I think it's worth noting in the lead that the film is a continuation of the original series. Although it is implied in the article that it is, there's nothing really stating it outright in the lede. I'm using Lofficier's book as a source here because it's the one I have. However the book Regeneration which details the making of the telefilm, likely has reference to this if someone with the book wishes to add a chapter-and-verse citation. 23skidoo (talk) 13:51, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Ending

Am I the only one who doesn't understand the film's ending? The went into a "temporal orbit", then they simply went back to a few minutes before midnight. How did that change the imminent destruction of the Earth? 70.20.211.100 (talk) 02:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)